Chocolate
by Taryn Weasley
Summary: Hermione falls back in time after drinking one of Neville's potions. She meets up with the Maruaders, and sparks fly between her and Remus. Minor OotP spoilers
1. Never trust a Malfoy

AN: Hey all, welcome to my new story! Woohoo When you finish this chapter, you should definitely check out my "Magical Me: a Test on Gilderoy Lockhart" series! It rules! You can also check out "Muggle Studies" but I don't know if I'm going to continue it. . .  
  
Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns the world of Harry Potter, including: The Trio, Snape, Neville, the Mimbulus Mimbletonia, Malfoy, even Crabbe (But I own the nose picking :-P)  
  
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Hermione Granger, a 17 year old witch-in-training, was sitting stock still at her desk, nibbling her quill, and listening intently to her potions master. Occasionally, she would shoot a glare at her two best friends, Harry Potter, and Ron Weasley, who were in the middle of an intense game of tic-tac-toe.  
  
"After adding the shredded lacewings, you will stir your potion once counterclockwise, then once clockwise. You will then let your potions simmer for 10 minutes. If you have brewed your potion correctly, time will stand still for you and you alone. You will have 10 minutes to go to your dormitory and retrieve your prized possession. If you brew it incorrectly . . .well, I hope none of you do."  
  
After saying this, Snape sneered at Neville, who trembled. No one had suspected Neville to take NEWT potions, but, like his parents, he wanted to become an Auror, and the DA (Dumbledore's Army) had proved that he was capable of the job. Unfortunately, he was still abysmal in potions.  
  
"You may begin!" Snape barked, then sat down at his desk to grade some 2nd year papers. Hermione eagerly started brewing her potion, as did the rest of the class (Though none with her trademark fervor). Finally, she, and the rest of the class, where done. All of the potions (including Neville's) were a tannish color, not unlike the sand that resided in Hermione's old time turner. Snape started calling the students up, one by one, to test there potions. He started, of course, with "Draco Malfoy".  
  
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~*~Draco's PoV~*~  
  
"Draco Malfoy" Snape called. Damn him, why did I always have to be first? I hadn't even gotten a chance to think of something I could do to Potter. Or Weasley. Or the Mudblood. Oh well, I would think of something, with time to spare. I smiled at Snape, and sipped my potion.  
  
It felt as though I was on a muggle rollercoaster (not that I've ever been on one. . .) and it had stopped abruptly. I stumbled forward, then looked around. I grinned. Everyone in the room, save for myself, was still as stone. It was almost as though a Basilisk was running loose in the room, and petrified everyone but me.  
  
"Accio Nimbus!" I yelled. My broom flew into the room, and hovered several feet above the air, vibrating softly. I was glad for the slight movement, because the whole 'Time standing still' thing was a bit unnerving. Well, now that that was over with, I had about 9 minutes to think of something to do to 'The Trio'. I looked around the room, trying to find inspiration. My eyes fell on Crabbe, and I groaned disgustedly. His finger was shoved up his nose.  
  
I averted my eyes, making a mental note to yell at him later. Suddenly, I grinned. I walked over to Neville Longbottom. Longbottom? More like Fat-arse. Oh well. I pointed my wand at his cauldron, full of, no doubt, some sort of horrific poison. Just because the potion looked right didn't mean it would work right. "Wingardium Leviosa!" I levitated the potion to the back of the room, and it landed with a thud in front of the brains of Potter's dream team. I then levitated her potion to Neville. The mudblood wouldn't know what hit her. And the best part was (Unless she died- that would be the best part) she would think she was the one who blundered up her potion. Suddenly, time started once again. I threw the mudblood a grin as Snape said "Very good, Mr. Malfoy, 10 points to Slytherin."  
  
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~*~ Hermione's PoV~*~  
  
"Draco Malfoy. Very good Mr. Malfoy, 10 points to Slytherin." Was what Hermione heard. She also saw the grin sent to her by Malfoy. She raised an eyebrow at him, but said nothing.  
  
"Neville Longbottom" Snape said boredly. Neville took a nervous swig of the brown potion in front of him. Hermione didn't even have time to wince in sympathy for her bumbling friend before she saw him, grinning madly, and holding his (now very large) Mimbulus mimbletonia. Hermione grinned, while Harry and Ron clapped Neville on the back.  
  
"Good job, Neville!" Hermione whispered excitedly. "I knew you cou-" But she was interrupted by Snape's voice "Hermione Granger" She glanced up, startled. Then, she realized he meant for her to take the potion, not that she was in trouble for congratulating Neville's miraculous success. Hermione slowly raised a cup full of potion to her lips. If she had glanced at Malfoy, she would have seen the evil grin that was painted on his face. If she had glanced at Neville, she would have seen humble admiration had replaced the look of pride and triumph on his round face. And if she had glanced at her potion, she would have noticed it bubbling slightly, while the other potions were smooth as glass. But she did none of these things. Instead, she took a confidant slurp, her mind already on "Hogwarts, A History" which she had already decided to retrieve.  
  
However, her mind was torn from her book when a familiar feeling of falling took over her body. 'It almost feels like I'm using a time turner' she thought to herself, before hitting the ground with a thud. She picked herself off the cold, stone floor, glancing curiously around the room. It was, indeed, the same dungeon that she went to for Potions. But no one was there.  
  
Suddenly, four boys appeared out of no where, and hurried over to her. One, with messy black hair and glasses, crouched down by her and asked "Are you alright?? Who are you?" Another, with longer black hair, looked her over. A third, slightly chubby with dishwater blonde hair, cowered a few feet away. And the fourth, a handsome young man with shaggy, light brown hair, held a shimmery silver cloak, so much like the one she and Harry and Ron had disappeared under so may times. She tried to focus on the one who had spoken to her "Harry . . .? But, you're eyes aren't. . ."  
  
Suddenly, a look of realization dawned on her face. And everything went black.  
  
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AN: So, what do you think? Hmmm, I wonder who those boys could be . . .*cough* Marauders! *cough* haha, only joking, I know you guys aren't that thick. Just to clear a few things up, she has traveled back to the Marauder's 7th year. Yes, she landed there on the same date, only years previously (December 14th), but no, she didn't end up at the same time. She arrived at roughly 1:28 AM . . . so, actually, its December 15th. Review!!!! But, if you need to send criticism, please, only constructive criticism! AKA: Yes to spelling mistakes; No to "Jeez, this story sucks, why did you make Malfoy switch the potions? He would never have done that; he would have forced Harry and Ron into revealing bikinis" or something stupid like that. Lol. That would make a lovely fanfic by itself! 


	2. Hermione the Chocolate Bar

AN: Hey all! Welcome to the second installment of Chocolate. . .oh, and by the way, it was pointed out to me that I described the Marauder's incorrectly. . . sorry!! Its just, I lent my copy of OotP to a friend, so I just described them the way I see them in my head. . .  
  
Disclaimer: Yup, I'm JK! I own it all! Bwahahaha!! Only joking, I really own nothing but the plot. . .  
  
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Hermione slowly opened her eyes, and squinted at the four unfamiliar faces who where staring worriedly at her. Scratch that. They weren't unfamiliar- One looked exactly like her best friend, save for the eyes. One looked like the younger version of her DADA teacher. One looked like the younger version of Harry's late Godfather. And the fourth boy- she had seen him before, too. Mind you, last time, he was 20 years older and had just transformed from his form of 12 years- a rat. She quickly averted her eyes from him.  
  
Suddenly, she realized they were talking. "Miss?" "Hello?" "Are you alright?" "What's your name?" She sat up, shakily. "H-hullo. I'm alright. . .I think. My name's Her-" She clapped her hands over her mouth, horrified with herself- She had almost told them her real name, which would, doubtless, cause problems in the future.  
  
"Your name is Her. . .what?" The black haired, bespectacled boy prompted gently. "Its. . .erm. . .Her. . shey! Um, yes, its Hershey." They all looked at her oddly. Finally, who she assumed to be Remus Lupin said "You're named after a muggle chocolate bar?" Hermione (Or Hershey. . .) laughed nervously. "Erm, yes, my parents are both um, obsessed with chocolate." The absurdity of this sentence was quite funny, since her parents were both dentists, but she managed to keep her amusement to herself.  
  
Suddenly, James Potter (The Harry clone) started talking and gesturing towards the other Marauders. "That's Sirius Black- Loyal as a dog, that one!" Sirius responded with a "Woof!" "Here's Peter Pettigrew, cunning as a rat, he is!" 'He's more of a rat than you think', she thought to herself. "And that Shaggy haired lug is Remus Lupin. I know he doesn't look it, but he's as wild as a wolf." Remus looked down at his shoes. "And I-" but suddenly Sirius interrupted him "He's James Potter, and he's as conceited as a stag!"  
  
With mock anger, James threw himself at Sirius. While they were fighting, Hermione turned to Remus. "Is there any way I can see the headmaster?" she asked quietly. "You want to see Dumbledore? Well, they're rather busy" Remus replied, gesturing towards the bickering duo, "But I'd be more than happy to take you! So, where did you come from, anyway?" He asked, as they climbed up the steps to get to the entrance hall "I-I'm a transfer student from Beauxbatons" "Oh. . Did you apparate here?" asked Remus nonchalantly. Hermione glared at him "Of course not! You can't apparate on the grounds of Hogwarts, it only says so about a million times in Hogwarts, A History! I would have thought that you, of all people, would have known that!" Remus looked rather taken aback. "I was only testing you! I wanted to see if you had done your research. . . and what did you mean, Me of all people?"  
  
"Erm. . .You just seem like the smart type, I guess!" Hermione replied, with a smile. 'Wow, I'm getting to be pretty good with this whole lying thing!' Hermione thought proudly to herself. "Oh. . .alright. . ." Remus still looked a tad perplexed, but he didn't have time to say anything, because they where standing in front of the gargoyle statue. "Ice Mice!" Remus said loudly, and the statue leapt aside with agility that one doesn't usually see in a carved bit of rock.  
  
Hermione turned towards Remus "Will you wait here for me? I shouldn't be but a minute." Remus smiled and nodded. With that, Hermione started up the winding staircase. At the top, she came across a door, which she tentatively knocked on. "Come in" said a voice inside, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Dumbledore. Well, not suspiciously, because it was his office. . .  
  
She pushed the door open, and sat down in a chair near Dumbledore's desk. He looked at her through his moon shaped spectacles. "How may I help you?" He asked. Hermione was surprised that he didn't say anything about her Gryffindor robes. "Well, I- I'm from the future." Hermione said tentatively. "Oh? Continue." "Um, well, my name is Hermione Granger, and I'm a seventh year Gryffindor and Head Girl. . .just not yet, if that makes any sense. I was in potions class, we were making a potion to stop time for the drinker. I. . ." she turned a little red "I must have done something wrong to my potion, because when I drank it, I ended up here. But I don't see how I messed up; I usually do perfectly in all of my classes! Er, not that I'm bragging. . ."  
  
Prof. Dumbledore looked at her for several minutes, deep in thought. "Was there anyone in your class who you disliked?" He finally asked "Well, yes. . .it was double potions, with the Slytherins, and I can't say I like any of them." "I see. Was there any one Slytherin whom you particularly disliked, or, dare I say, even hated?" Hermione didn't have to even pause to think about this. "Draco Malfoy." She said his name, and scrunched up her nose in disgust. "I see. Now, this must have been a NEWT level class," She nodded "So I doubt anyone in there did poorly in potions. . ." "Er, I'm not sure what you're getting at, but Neville Longbottom, a fellow Gryffindor, takes the class, and he's horrible in it. I don't know why Snape let him in, though. I think it must have been Dumble-erm, I mean your doing."  
  
"Well, Ms. Granger, I may not be able to tell you how to get back to your time, at least, not yet, but I think I can explain how your potion sent you here. Or, should I say, Mr. Longbottom's potion. Mr. Malfoy must have used some of his time to cause some mischief. . .to switch yours and Neville's potion."  
  
Hermione gaped at him. "But- that's. . .well, now that I think about it, I suppose you're right. . .I'm going to kill Malfoy when I get home! If I get home" "Ms. Granger, did you happen to see anyone before you came up to my office?" "Yes. The Marauder's found me. Remus helped me to your office" At the mention of Remus, Hermione's cheeks flushed ever so slightly. 'What is wrong with me?' she asked herself 'Oh dear, I hope my little schoolgirl's crush from third year isn't coming back to haunt me. . .' "Now, Ms. Granger, you didn't give them your real name, did you?" "Of course not! Well, I almost did, but I caught myself. They think my name is, er, Hershey. As in, the chocolate. Told 'em my parent's were nutters for chocolate" "I see. Can you think of a last name?"  
  
Hermione thought about that for a moment. Finally, she said "Groppett'll do" She figured that, since Prof. Binns always seemed to call her that, she would be able to answer to that. "I also told the boys I was from Beauxbatons." "Very good. So, if anyone asks, you are Miss. Hershey Groppett, and you are an exchange student form Beauxbatons. You may go back to Gryffindor Tower now. We only have one female 7th year, in Gryffindor. I'm sure she'll be happy to share her head girl's room. Or, if not, the 7th year girl's dormitory is free." "Alright, thank you Professor! Oh, but what about supplies? And clothes? All I have are the clothes on my back and the wand in my pocket. I don't even have a pair of knuts to rub together!" "Tomorrow, I think, I will send you to Hogsmeade to purchase anything you might need, and the school will take care of expenses. Normally, I would send the Head Girl, Lily Evans, with you, but she and James, the Head Boy, are going to be in meetings all day. Is there someone you would like to take? Sirius, or Remus, or Peter, perchance?" "Um, Remus, I suppose. Thank you Professor!" "Goodnight Miss Groppet."  
  
Hermione walked down the stairs, and out from behind the statue. Remus, who had been sitting on the floor, jumped to his feet. "So, everything went ok, Hershey?" He asked. "Yes" She answered. "I was already sorted a few days ago, and I just needed to set a few things straight. Now, could you show me how to get to Gryffindor Tower?" "Of course, milady." He answered, offering his arm to her. She grinned. "Why thank you, kind sir."  
  
They walked and talked, arm in arm, for several minutes, before they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Password?", she asked "I'm a little Teapot" Said Remus, going red as Hermione looked at him quizzically. "Since Lily and James are the Heads, they get to choose the passwords for Gryffindor. . .and they both have a bit of a sense of humor." Hermione chuckled. The portrait swung open, and they climbed through into the crimson and gold common room.  
  
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AN: This chappie didn't turn out as good as I wanted it too. . .oh well, I'm sure number 3 will be better! Review!!!!! 


	3. Ew, Peter Pettigrew drool

AN: Um, hello all. . . *looks at feet in shame* I'm so sorry its taken 5 months to get this up! I'm horrible! But please, let he who has never procrastinated throw the first stone! Haha, anyways, I really hope you all enjoy it! I wrote the WHOLE chapter up at a babysitting job a couple of hours ago (the kids were asleep, of course) and I even stole a floppy disk, just so I could get this out tonight, when I got home and tried to load in on my comp, and it said it wouldn't work because the other comp was a stupid Mac! So, I retyped the ENTIRE thing from memory! Actually, I think it turned out better the second time around, so maybe the whole Mac prob was a blessing in disguise. . . .anyways, enjoy chapter number three!!  
  
Disclaimer: I only own the plot. . .and not even THAT, completely! Siriusly, look at all the other Hermy-accidently-goes-back-in-time-and- falls-in-love-with-everyone's-fave-werewolf fics! There are like 5 pages worth of them! But mine is BETTER, so its all good! Haha, don't mind me, I am just a conceited idiot!  
  
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Hermione and Remus burst through the portrait into the Common Room, to see a worried James, a bored Sirius, a sleeping (and drooling) Peter, and a rather confused looking red head, whom Hermione numbly realized was the future mother of her best friend, Harry Potter.  
  
James jumped off of the couch at once. "Where have you two been?" He demanded. "I have been worried sick! One minute me and Sirius are having a friendly scuffle, the next, you two are gone, probably snogging in a coat closet or something!" Hermione and Remus looked at him with open mouths and incredulous looks.  
  
"What are you talking about? I was just showing Hershey to Dumbledore's office!" Remus told him. "And since when have you become a mother hen?" James tried to give them a stern look, when, finally, he burst out laughing. "You should have seen the looks on your faces!" He gasped.  
  
The young woman who Hermione presumed to be Lily Evans hit James across the head, and looked at Hershey. "Erm, Hello, I'm Lily Evans, Head Girl and only residing 7th year girl in the whole of Gryffindor house." She smiled. "Oh, um, it's wonderful to meet you, Lily!" Hermione answered. "I'm, er, Hershey Groppet, and you aren't the only 7th year girl anymore."  
  
Lily widened her eyes, grinned, then jumped off the couch and did an insane little jig. "You can't believe how marvelous this is!" She cried, prancing around the couch. "It's been so lonely and BORING! Now I have someone to talk to in the middle of the night!"  
  
She continued to prance around, the others laughing, when suddenly, she tripped and landed in the sleeping Peter's lap, and got his drool all over her robes. "EWW!!" She cried, just as Peter shrieked like a banshee and leapt up. "Don't DO that!" He stuttered. You gave me SUCH a fright!" Everyone was laughing, and he glared. "Fine then, I see how it is, I'm going to bed!"  
  
With that, he stomped upstairs. He tripped three times, much to the groups delight. Once Peter was out of sight, Sirius looked over at Hermione. "So, Hershey. We know your name, and that you're from Beauxbatons, and that your parents are nutters for chocolate, but that's about it. Tell us more!" Everyone agreed, so Hermione (rather reluctantly) started feeding them things about her, some true, and some fake.  
  
"Well," she began, "I was raised in London until I was 11, when my parents received two letters, one from Hogwarts, and one from Beauxbatons. My mother, who lived in France up until she met my father, insisted on my going to Beauxbatons. I had everything there, good grades, good friends. . ." her mind wandered to Harry and Ron.  
  
How were they? Did they know she was gone? Were they worried? She didn't notice she had gotten a rather glazed look until Remus gently shook her. She blinked. "Anyways, I had everything there, when. . .my parents were killed by Death Eaters." The group gasped, and Lily patted her shoulder sympathetically. That part, unfortunately, was completely true. She sniffed, and tried not to cry. . .even though her parents were killed over a year ago, it still hurt.  
  
"I had a choice between who would be my legal guardian: My batty old Aunt Genevieve, whom I despise, but at least I would have still gone to Beauxbatons, or my Aunt Liz, who I love to death. In the end, I chose Auntie Liz. So, I got a week off to mourn, and then I was shipped off here." Nobody said anything. "Um, The End. . ." Hermione said tentatively.  
  
Lily was the first to say anything. "That's. . .that's horrible! I hope you know I'll be here if you need a shoulder to cry on!" "Thank you" Hermione said softly. Remus, looking at his lap, spoke. "I know how you must feel. A little over 2 years ago, my mum and dad were killed by a wer- er, by a wolf. I was the only survivor." Hermione looked at him, shocked. She finally knew how he had been bitten, and the circumstances were so much worse than she had thought. She had always realized how truly horrible it would be to be bitten by a werewolf, but to have your parents killed the same night? She shuddered.  
  
"Oh Remus, how awful for you." She whispered. There was an awkward silence, when finally Sirius exclaimed "Stop being so me!" Hermione gave him an odd look, when, finally, James whispered "He means stop being serious. . .it's a play on words" Hermione started cracking up, glad to be able to laugh again. It hadn't been fun reliving some very real parts of her past.  
  
"So, roomie, what time should I wake you up for classes? I won't be joining you, mind you, I have meetings all day. Head Girl meetings." Lily asked. "Oh, um, around 6 would be nice" Hermione started to say, when suddenly she realized something. "Oh, wait, I'm not going to classes! I have to go to Hogsmeade, to get my supplies! Remus is accompanying me"  
  
Remus looked at her, surprised. "I am??" Hermione blushed, then smacked her forehead against her hand. "Oh, I can't believe it, I completely forgot to ask you! Dumbledore said I had to bring someone with me, and I suggested you. . .you wouldn't mind, would you?" Remus grinned. "Of course not! Anything to get out of Potions-it's my worst subject, you know!"  
  
James snorted. "Worst subject? Don't you mean it's the only subject you do a little less than perfect in, Mr. 'I got 112% on my Charms exam' ". Remus turned red. Just what he wanted, Hershey thinking he was an overachieving loser. . .  
  
Hermione looked at him, shocked. "B-but, that's the same score I got on MY Charms exam!" Remus looked at her, mouth open, then grinned. He looked up towards the Heavens. "Thank you for sending someone who understands me!" Hermione reached over and tweaked his nose. "Just because I get good grades doesn't mean I understand you!"  
  
Remus looked mockingly crestfallen, and she laughed. "Well, I don't know about you boys. . .and girl. . .but I am exhausted! Lily, will you show me to the 7th year's dorm?" Lily glared at her. "Are you crazy, I am not sending you to the empty, dusty, gross dorm, you are bunking with me!" Hermione grinned, and got up. "After you Lily my dear!"  
  
The two girls started walking toward the girl's staircase, when Sirius ran up behind them. If you two girls don't mind ", He said suavely, I'm thinking of joining you for the night." "Sorry, not enough beds." Lily said matter of factly. "Oh, that's alright, I'll just share with one of you! Mind you, I get hot at night, so I'll be sleeping in the nude. . ." Hermione gaped at him, and Lily whacked him over the head.  
  
"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT, BLACK!" He whimpered and scampered up the stairs. Hermione decided that if he were in dog form, his tail would definitely be between his legs. The two girls climbed the stairs, until they were nearly to the top, when Lily stopped. She turned towards the other stairway, and cried dramatically, "Goodnight, my love! Tonight shall be a tragic night, without you!" James didn't hesitate. "Oh, my darling, pray for me to fall asleep quickly, so that I might wake in the morning, because without you in my arms, life isn't worth living!"  
  
They both cracked up, while Hermione and Remus rolled their eyes at each other. "Well, Goodnight Remus." Hermione called softly. He smiled. "Goodnight, Hershey. Welcome to Hogwarts!"  
  
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AN: So, was that acceptable? I really hope you all enjoyed it, I really tried! Anyways, review please! I'll try to update tomarrow, but don't hold me to it! 


	4. grrr, stupid hair potions

AN- Hello all!! I'm soooo sorry, I mean tot have this up by Wednesday, at the latest, but something terrible happened-my report card came in the mail. I didn't exactly get the best of grades in either Science or Social Studies, and so my computer privileges have been have been degraded down to me only being able to use it for school work, except for Weekends. . . most of this was typed on the side while I was typing up papers for school. . . ug. Anyways, I will still update this as often as possible, but don't expect more than one, MAYBE two chapters a week!  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine. Sorry to disappoint you.  
  
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Hermione woke up the next morning with a yawn. She lazily sat up, pushing her wild bush of hair out of her face, and glanced over at Lily's bed, which was neatly made up. She groggily made her way over to the bathroom, and saw a note pinned to the mirror. It read-  
  
Hershey~  
  
Sorry, I had to leave early for my meetings! You're welcome to use anything of mine- clothes, makeup, the works. Have fun with Remus!!  
  
~Lily  
  
PS I have some hair potion, go ahead and try to tame your hair! Don't be afraid to use a lot, I never use it and I have nearly 7 bottles~  
  
Hermione looked over at the sink, and saw a bottle of the potion. She loved the feeling of having straight hair, it made her feel so much prettier, but in her 6th year she had used hair potions nearly everyday, and her hair had grown quite immune to them. Still, maybe a whole bottle would do the trick. . .  
  
3 bottles and 10 minutes later, her hair had lost a bit of its frizz, but that was about it. Hermione was getting really sick of lathering the stuff on her hair, so she decided to leave it at that. She sighed and went to look at Lily's clothes. She had planned to just charm her old clothes clean, but she really didn't want to go into Hogsmeade in her school robes. She opened Lily's bureau, and wondered what was with the Halloween costumes- each drawer was full of bell bottoms, tie-dye t-shirts, peasant tops, even a pair of 6 inch platforms! Suddenly she realized that she was living in the 70's, and groaned. She reluctantly pulled on a pair of faded blue bell bottoms, and the only shirt that wasn't either beaded of tie-dyed- a brown peasant top, that tied in the front. Then she glanced at the platforms, and quickly decided on wearing her school shoes.  
  
When she was done getting dressed, and had put on a touch of lip gloss, she grabbed her wand and made for the common room. There she found Remus reading a book, lost in his own little world. She watched him for several moments before clearing her throat loudly. He looked up quickly, and grinned sheepishly.  
  
"Sorry, I was rather engrossed in my book."  
  
Hermione smiled at him.  
  
"Its quite all right, I understand completely. What book is it?"  
  
Remus held up the book, and she read the title out loud.  
  
"'The Moon and Me: A Biography of a Monster.' That's a terrible name!"  
  
The smile had left Remus's face.  
  
"Why? The book's about werewolves, and they ARE monsters." He said bitterly  
  
"No they aren't! They're just a little different. . .I know werewolf, and he is one of the least monstrous people I know." She answered quietly.  
  
He looked at her strangely, and she smiled at him slightly. After about a moment, she asked  
  
"Well, why don't we leave then?"  
  
He blushed and stood up.  
  
"Oh, yes, sorry."  
  
They made there way out to the front of the school, and towards the horseless carriage Dumbledore had arranged for them to take to Hogwarts. Mind you, they weren't exactly horseless, at least to Hermione. . . She looked at them sadly, wishing she was blissfully unaware of their existence, wishing she hadn't witnessed death  
  
Remus opened the door for her. She tore her eyes away from the Thestrels, and climbed in. They rode in silence for a while, when Remus suddenly spoke.  
  
"So, to Gringotts first?"  
  
She looked slightly uncomfortable.  
  
"Um, no, actually, I don't really have any money, so Dumbledore told me to charge everything to Hogwarts. . ."  
  
She looked down at her lap, willing the slight redness disappear from her cheeks. She knew that it wasn't her fault that she had absolutely no way to pay for anything, and that Hogwarts could definitely afford to buy one girl some clothes, and supplies, but she still hated having to accept charity. She made up her mind to pay Dumbledore back the INSTANT she got home!  
  
Remus wondered why Hershey's Aunt couldn't just buy her the things she needed. He figured that she was probably very poor, but it was still odd that she only came to Hogwarts with the clothes on her back, and her wand. . .But he was much to polite to ask her about it, so he changed the subject.  
  
"So, what are you're favorite school classes?"  
  
Hermione grinned, talking about school always made her happy.  
  
"Oh, I love Arithmancy, it's my very favorite, but I also love Potions, despite the teacher, and Transfiguration. But, then again, I love all my classes. . .well, except for Divination, I took it in my 3rd year, and despised it! It's really just a lot of wooly guesswork, in my opinion. What about you, Remus? What's your favorite class?"  
  
Remus gave her a bit of a wounded look.  
  
"My very favorite class in the entire world is Divination; I can't believe you just said that 'it's a lot of wooly guesswork'. I'm wounded."  
  
Hermione gave him a horrified look. How could he love divination??? Suddenly, he burst out laughing.  
  
"You should have SEEN the look on your face! It was priceless! Really, I feel quite the same way as you, really, who wants to spend their day staring at soggy tea dregs, when you could be in Defense Against the Dark Arts? It's really my favorite class! When I grow up, I'd really like to be a teacher for Defense!"  
  
Hermione smiled sadly. It would be quite a while before he would get a chance to teach. She wondered if he realized how hard life would be out in the real world, as a werewolf. He seemed so happy and carefree, so unlike the man she knew as her Professor. This boy would out live his two best friends, would have to go through the betrayal of Peter, who he thought was his friend. . .Suddenly, Remus waved his hand in front of Hermione's face.  
  
"Hershey? Hello?"  
  
She jumped, then blushed. He probably thought she was mental, staring of into space like that. She was about to apologize for her spacy-ness, when the carriage came to a sudden stop, sending Hermione straight into Remus's lap. She turned bright red, jumped off, and said "Er, well, we're here!" She didn't notice that Remus had gone rather red in the face as well.  
  
Remus got out of the carriage, and helped Hermione out. She looked around in awe-It was so different!  
  
"Erm, Hershey, I'm not really all that into shopping for clothes, so would you mind if we bought all you're school supplies first, and then split up when you get clothes? I need to do some Christmas shopping anyways. . ."  
  
He looked at his feet, hoping she didn't get mad at him. He really despised shopping for clothes, and he REALLY needed a chance to buy James, Sirius, Peter, and Lily gifts for Christmas, since they would probably be hovering all over him at the next Hogsmeade Trip.  
  
"Oh, not at all! Really, I understand, I rather hate shopping for clothes myself, I'm only doing it because I don't want to live in Lily's clothes forever!"  
  
Remus grinned.  
  
"Wonderful! Do you have a supplies list?"  
  
She nodded, and pulled a sheet of parchment out of her pocket.  
  
"Here, Professor Dumbledore sent it to me this morning."  
  
Remus looked over it for several minutes.  
  
"Let's go to the bookshop first, alright?"  
  
Hermione grinned, and agreed straight away.  
  
Two and a half hours later, Remus and Hermione dropped their heavy bags into a booth at The Three Broomsticks. They had finished buying Hermione's supplies, Hermione had gotten all the clothes she would be needing, and Remus had found Christmas presents for each of his friends.  
  
They were chatting like old friends, when suddenly a very young version of Madame Rosmerta walked up to their table. Hermione choked when she realized who she was.  
  
"Erm, hello, I was wondering if I could get you two a drink?"  
  
Hermione grinned- It was obvious that Rosmerta was very new to the job."  
  
"I'll take a Butterbeer, please"  
  
"Yes, me as well."  
  
Rosmerta scribbled something on a piece of parchment she was clutching, and walked off. Hermione tried not to laugh, but a giggle escaped her.  
  
"What's so funny?" Remus asked her, giving her a quizzical look.  
  
"Oh, nothing, Ros- erm, that waitress reminds me a bit of someone from back home."  
  
"Oh, alright."  
  
They sat in an uncomfortable silence, as though they had just realized that they were complete strangers. Mind you, Hermione already knew Remus, but not THIS Remus- the Remus she knew was darker, had seen more pain in his life.  
  
The two were very thankful when their silence was broken by a flustered Rosmerta, bearing two mugs of butterbeer. Hermione held the cup up to her face and inhaled deeply, breathing in the warm, buttery sent. She didn't notice Remus looking at her, a small smile on his lips. She took her first sip, shivered, and smiled to herself as her insides quickly responded to the warm liquid. Oh, how she loved the feeling butterbeer gave her. Sometimes she thought that maybe being in love felt the way butterbeer made her feel- all warm and happy inside, yet shivery at the same time.  
  
Remus had managed to tear his eyes away from Hershey, and took a large gulp of butterbeer, and then another. He was taking his third gulp when he choked- His knee had accidentally brushed Hershey's. He turned bright red, and mumbled an apology, while Hermione told him it was quite alright, her cheeks tinted pink.  
  
Hermione was rather furious with herself, she had blushed more in one day that she had in her ENTIRE second year, when Lockhart was her Professor! Well, maybe she was exaggerating, but still. . .  
  
After they were done, they got up, and Remus, being the gentleman that he was, charmed Hermione's bags to fit in his pocket, so she wouldn't have to be bothered by them. They walked towards the shrieking shack, where Dumbledore had asked them to go when they were done with their shopping. Remus was looking up at the large, shabby house with a guarded look in his eyes.  
  
"It's haunted, you know" He told Hermione abruptly.  
  
"Pardon?" She asked, not having any idea about what he was talking about.  
  
"The Shrieking Shack. It's supposed to be the most severely haunted place in all of Britain."  
  
"It just looks like an old house to me." Hermione answered. "And I doubt it's the most haunted place in Britain- Hogwarts has its share of ghosts, more than could ever fit in there!"  
  
They continued talking about this and that until their horseless carriage arrived. Hermione had figured that it would have been faster to just use the secret passage from Honeydukes to Hogwarts, instead of them having to wait for their carriage, but Remus didn't' know that she knew anything about that.  
  
Hermione was lost in her thoughts, ranging from time travel to her parents. Lupin, on the other hand, was lost in her eyes. She didn't notice. . .  
  
When they got back to Hogwarts, and the carriage had come to a complete stop, Hermione made to open the door, when Remus stopped her. She looked at him quizzically, until, bright red, he leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips.  
  
After several moments, he pulled away, and quickly got out of the carriage. Hermione, after several dazed seconds, hopped out after him, and watched the very red, grinning Remus walking into the castle, one of her hands pressed lightly against her lips.  
  
Suddenly, she grinned, and quickly followed after him, with a new bounce in her step.  
  
'He kissed me, he kissed me, he kissed me' her mind chanted, as she walked up the steps to the castle. She couldn't wait to get upstairs and tell Lily all about it.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`  
  
AN- Well, that was my longest chappie yet! R&R!!  
  
Tamar- If you had read more closely, Hermione told them that she had grown up in ENGLAND. So, if she had actually gone to Beauxbatons, she would have been the girl who spoke French with a British accent, not the French girl who spoke English with a French accent. Please try to read more closely before submitting things like that!  
  
WannabeHobbit- Yes, I guess you're right, he was probably younger when he was bitten, but whatever. :-P I know that it would be weird for Lily to be the ONLY Gryffindor 7th year girl, but I don't really like making up characters, so, in my own little world, she's the only one :-P  
  
youdontneedtoknow- ARG, I was hoping no one would notice. . .*blush*. . .I decided that Herm's parents were dead after I typed that, and, now that someone noticed, I guess I'll have to go back and change it. . . .eventually. . .  
  
The Dark Elfy Chick- Arg, I'm so bad at formatting! Spelling, I'm fine at, Grammar's easy, but I can NEVER understand when to have paragraphs break up. . .I tried to do it the way you explained for this chappie, I hope I did it right!  
  
silver-sunn101-when Sirius tries to go up with the girls is one of my fave parts as well :-D  
  
Fan-Of-HP, Tracy3, someonelse, poetrychik, Tielle, KatFay, WinterWonderland02, Elven Warrior1, Licky, Paupu-Kairi, Chaucer, Angel of Slytherin, Nissy Padfoot, FlamezFlyer, Dre, lovebug123, Moi, QueenOfTheRings, Kairi, Demetre Ironhilt: Thanks so much for the reviews!!!!  
  
Grrrr, this chappie didn't turn out the way I wanted it too, probably because I didn't get to type it out all in one sitting. . .oh well. . . 


	5. Prof Tryon may be evilbut not as evil as...

AN: Here you are, the next update to my bonny tale! This one goes out to my good buddy, Beth, who is making a guest appearance as-you guessed it!- The Potions Mistress!! Bon Appetit!  
  
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own anyone you recognize....I don't own Prof. Tryon either, haha, don't worry Bethy dear.  
  
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The next day, Hermione Granger found herself blearily sitting in Potions, waiting for the teacher to arrive. She was sitting next to one Lily Evans, who kept glancing at Remus and grinning at her. Hermione was tired because she had sat up nearly half the night talking to Lily about her love life. It was a wonder that she had managed to stay awake for all of her classes. Now she just had to sit through potions, and then she could fall asleep in her nice warm bed...While Hermione was dead tired, Lily was awake and energetic. Hermione grumpily wondered how she did it, when suddenly, the doors burst open, and their potions master entered.  
  
After a moment, Hermione realized that their potions master was, in fact, a Potions Mistress. She had very short brown hair, flowing black robes, and wore a scowl.  
  
"That's Professor Tryon" Lily Whispered.  
  
"She's head of Slytherin, and isn't afraid to take points away from Gryffindor, no matter how unfair the circumstances."  
  
Hermione smiled sardonically: Some things NEVER changed. Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud 'hem hem' Hermione looked around the room frightfully, trying to see if Umbridge was in the dungeon, before she realized it had come from their teacher.  
  
"Today, we shall be working on a very complicated potion. It is called Veritaserum. A truth potion."  
  
The class looked at her with round eyes, and she continued.  
  
"You shall be working with partners of my choosing."  
  
She looked down at her role list.  
  
"Hmm, it seems as though we have a new student- Hershey Groppet. Lovely name, really"  
  
The Slytherins laughed, and Hermione turned red.  
  
"Since you are new, I think I will pair you up with my most promising student-Severus Snape."  
  
Hermione groaned inwardly. Professor Tryon continued to partner everyone else off. Once everyone had been paired, she continued with her instructions.  
  
"Now, the instructions are on the board- and, since this is a practical lesson, each of you will be testing your potions. You partners will receive a list of questions to ask. If one of you asks a question not appearing on my list, they will receive a month of detentions and 50 points will be taken from the offending house. You may begin."  
  
Hermione had turned quite white- She couldn't possibly take a truth potion, it could ruin EVERYTHING! Sure, she probably wouldn't be asked anything along the lines of 'Will Lily and James die within the next 6 years' but still, what if she was asked her name, or worse, her birth date?? She raised her hand tentatively.  
  
"Um, Professor? I'm-erm-really allergic to Veritaserum, so could I just brew, and not partake?  
  
The professor sneered at her.  
  
"Ms. Groppet, I hope that you don't believe that this is the first time I have heard that silly excuse. No one wants to take the truth potion, but, as it is a required piece of curriculum, you will not be excused. Now, begin!"  
  
The entire time she and Severus were brewing their potion, Hermione was tightlipped and silent, except for the occasional 'pass the newt eyes'. She had looked over the list of questions, and they didn't make her very happy.  
  
1. What is your full name?  
  
2. What is your birthday?  
  
3. Where were you born?  
  
4. Who are your best friends?  
  
5. What do you want to be when you grow up? Why?  
  
Numbers 3 and 5 she could deal with. It was 1, 2, and 4 that she was worried about- it would be nothing short of catastrophic! How would Snape react when she said she was Hermione Granger, born in the year 1980, and best friends with one Mr. Harry Potter? She doubted saying Ron Weasley would be a problem, since their seemed to be so many Weasleys floating around, but to announce her best friend was a Potter?  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by an annoyingly haughty voice.  
  
"Hershey, the potion is done. Stop with your silly day dreaming."  
  
She almost expected him to say '10 points from Gryffindor'. He offered her a dropper full of potion, with a pitiless grin.  
  
"After you, Miss Groppet"  
  
She went to take it with shaking hands. She would just pretend to take a drop, she decided, and lie her way through the questioning. She closed her eyes, opened her mouth, and raised the dropper. Unfortunately, she accidentally squeezed a single drop into her mouth. Her shaking hands had been her downfall.  
  
She felt her eyes glaze over, felt herself fall into a dreamlike trance. She saw, in a detached sort of way, Snape pick up the list of questions.  
  
"Alright, let's get on with this. What is your full name?"  
  
Hermione struggled. She really, really did. But it was no use.  
  
"Hermione Jane Granger" she said, dreamily.  
  
Snape only stared.  
  
"Alright, erm...What is your birthday?"  
  
This time she REALLY struggled. She truly did. She lasted nearly a minute before she replied.  
  
"September 19, 1980"  
  
Snape's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. If Hermione hadn't felt like crying, and if she weren't under the potion's trance, she probably would have been cracking up. It was the first time she had ever seen Snape look truly alarmed.  
  
"Um...erm...Where were you, um, born?"  
  
"London, England."  
  
Snape looked relieved. At least this answer had been rather ordinary. The first two questions were probably flukes- the stupid twit had probably added the bat wings early.  
  
"Alright then- who are your best friends?"  
  
If Hermione had had her free will, she would have gulped.  
  
"Ron Weasley"  
  
Snape didn't look surplussed.  
  
"Lily Evans"  
  
'Where did that come from?' Hermione wondered to herself, 'we've only known each other for a day!'  
  
"Remus Lupin"  
  
'WHAT?? Well, erm....maybe I won't say Harry...'  
  
"And Harry Potter."  
  
'DAMN!'  
  
Snape narrowed his eyes. He didn't know what the silly witch was getting at, but he was going to find out.....but not today. Not under Professor Tryon's watch.  
  
"What do you want to be when you grow up, and why?"  
  
Hermione relaxed. This was a safe question. She wanted to be a teacher, of course.  
  
"An Auror, so I can help Harry wipe out Voldemort, and his stupid little Death Eaters."  
  
The potion wore off, and Hermione looked rather shocked. An Auror? Since when?? She looked at Snape. He was looking at her with the strangest look. It was a mixture of loathing and fear. He was subconsciously, nervously scratching his arm. Right where his Dark Mark would be. She just realized she had made a dangerous enemy. She also realized that she had a way to shut him up about her secrets....  
  
"Your turn" she said crisply, and literally force fed him the potion. She was going to take no chances of him running to Tryon, and telling her all about her phony identity.  
  
"What's your full name?" She asked quickly and matter of factly. She needed to have time to ask him the 5 questions, plus an extra one before the time ran up...  
  
"Severus Snape"  
  
"What's your birthday?"  
  
"November 6th, 1963."  
  
"Where were you born?"  
  
"Manchester, England"  
  
"Who are your best friends?"  
  
"Lucius Malfoy, Bella Black."  
  
"What do you want to be when you grow up?"  
  
"A potions master, or a teacher of the Dark Arts."  
  
Hermione glanced at her watch; she didn't have much time...  
  
"Are you a Death Eater?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Slowly, Snape blinked, then looked at Hermione in horror.  
  
"How did you..."  
  
"You keep my secrets, I keep yours. You tell my secrets, I go straight to Dumbledore."  
  
Snape looked at her for several minutes, with complete and utter loathing, before nodding roughly. Suddenly, Professor Tryon was standing above them. She stirred their potion, looking at it critically.  
  
"This is a fine potion, Mr. Snape, Miss Groppet. 10 points each."  
  
Hermione, Snape, and the rest of the class gaped at her. Did she just award Gryffindor 10 points???  
  
"On the other hand, Miss Groppet, you are not on the ground covered in boils, so I can assume that you were not completely honest about being allergic to Veritaserum. Therefore, I deduct 30 points from Gryffindor."  
  
Hermione groaned. Leave it to her to manage to get 20 points taken away form her house the first day she went to class....  
  
She packed up her cauldron, shoved her potions book and quills into her school bag, and walked to the exit, where Lily, Remus, James, and Sirius were waiting for her. They were talking quite animatedly, and didn't notice her walk up behind them...  
  
"So, Remus old chum, are you going to ask her to the dance? You're the only one without a date!"  
  
"I know, but what if she says no? What if she's completely offended by that kiss I gave her? And anyways, don't you think she has a right to know what I am before I involve myself with her?"  
  
"You KISSED her??? Why am I never told these things??"  
  
"Oh, come on Remus, Hershey and I were up all night giggling about that kiss, and she seemed anything but offended."  
  
"Yeah, and its not like your proposing marriage, she doesn't need to know just yet!"  
  
Hermione grinned, her cheeks flushed. If her ears didn't deceive her, there was a dance coming up, and Remus was too shy to ask her. She thought it was adorable, and flattering at the same time. She stood right behind Remus and cleared her throat loudly. Lily, Sirius, and James turned around quickly and grinned at her. Remus, on the other hand, went stiff.  
  
"She's standing right behind me, isn't she?" he asked in a strangled voice. The back of his neck, she noticed, was bright red. No one said anything. Slowly, face as red as his neck, he turned around, to see Hermione grinning up at him.  
  
"I'd love to."  
  
This was obviously not what he was expecting.  
  
"You what???"  
  
"I would love to go to this dance thing with you....if that was actually an offer I dug out of the conversation..."  
  
Remus grinned, as though someone had just offered him a lifetime supply of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum.  
  
"It was definitely an offer!"  
  
Hermione grinned, but the moment was ruined by Lily grabbing her arm and dragging her up the stairs.  
  
"We'll see you boys later; I have to find something for this girl to wear!!!"  
  
Hermione was dragged unceremoniously up to her and Lily's room, where she was dumped onto a bed. Lily looked at her critically, her hand on her chin.  
  
"Hmm....brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin....."  
  
She ran to the wardrobe and started throwing dress robes out onto the bed, next to a shocked Hermione. She didn't think even Madam M's Robes For All Occasions had as many dress robes as the young Lily Evans owned...  
  
Once the pile was several feet high, Lily closed the Wardrobe, and grinned at Hermione.  
  
"I chose a few that might just work for you!"  
  
"Um, if you don't mind my asking, when is this grand ball?"  
  
"Christmas Eve, 7 till midnight. Now, what do you think of this?"  
  
She held out a midnight blue robe. Before Hermione could answer, Lily threw it to the side.  
  
"Definitely not..."  
  
An hour later, they had gone through nearly the entire pile. Some things Lily immediately threw to the side, some she made Hermione try on, but none were up to Lily's standards. Finally they were down to the last two dresses. One was a bottle green, and one was a Gryffindor crimson.  
  
"Oh, Lily, you can't let me wear the green one, it was MADE for you! Let me try on the red..."  
  
And so she did. She buttoned it up, pulled her hair back messily, looked in the mirror, and gaped. This was THE dress. It hugged her curves in just the right way, it hung just where it should, it was simply stunning. It had the look of a custom made dress.  
  
"Oh, it's perfect!" Lily squealed. "I wore it last year, which was really a mistake, it clashed horribly with my hair, but now I am so glad I bought it! Here, take it off, and I'll be sure to ask a house elf to press it before the big night!  
  
Hermione pulled the robes over her shoulders, put on her pajamas, and crawled into bed. She didn't care that she would miss dinner, she was TIRED. With that, she closed her eyes, and was asleep.  
  
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KatFay- Oh, no, I LOVE 70's clothes- I was a hippie for Halloween, you know- But Hermione just seems like the kind of straightforward girl who would prefer clothes of her own generation...seriously, can you see Hermione wearing Tie-Dye and platforms??  
  
Dyrim123, someonelse, Chaucer, Fan-Of-HP: Thanks for the reviews!!!!!!! 


	6. A Bloody Monster

AN: I'm sooooooorry!! I have no excuse; all I am going to say is that at least it wasn't 5 months, like last time!!! In the last two months, a lot has happened to me: I decided to become a German Exchange student this fall, I found out my mom was pregnant, I decided I WASN'T going to be a German exchange student, and I got to meet one of my VERY favorite authors, Gail Carson Levine!!!! And those are just the things I can think of off of the top of my head!! Anyways, sorry again, and enjoy! Only 3 more chappies left!  
  
Disclaimer: Characters: Not mine; Hershey Chocolates Corporation: Not mine, Any Stupid Spelling mistakes: MINE!!

Remus Lupin paced around his empty dorm nervously. It was a little over a week since he had asked Hershey to the upcoming dance, and he was starting to have his regrets. The last week had been one of the most wonderful times of his life, if not the very best, but he couldn't let it continue. Sure, Hershey made him feel like a whole new person, someone who hadn't been bitten by a werewolf, someone who wasn't an orphan. But all of this could only end up with someone getting hurt.  
  
The worst case scenario would be him biting Hershey. What if he went to the Shrieking Shack to transform, and she followed him? He couldn't bear it if he bit her, or killed her. Even if he only managed to scratch her a bit before she was rescued, he would never be able to live with himself. He had to break things off before she got hurt.  
  
He knew it was selfish, but he was also afraid of getting hurt. What if, after dating for a bit, he decided to trust her and tell her his secret? He knew she would probably accept him, after all, she had told him herself that she knew a decent werewolf. But she probably never dated that werewolf. What if she told him she hated him and broke it off? After all, nearly all of his relatives who had loved him before his bite had abandoned him. Why not Hershey? Sure, James and Sirius and Peter liked him, but that was different. Hershey wasn't like them. She wasn't outgoing like his friends. She was fearless like his friends. She wasn't completely idiotic and stupid, like his friends.  
  
He sat down on his bunk with his face resting in his hands. He knew it was for the best, but he still dreaded breaking things off with Hershey Groppet. For the first time in his life, he felt loved. He didn't want to give that up. He didn't want to give her up. Heck, what he wanted to do was elope after graduation, have 8 kids, and live happily ever after. With her. But he knew he couldn't. He knew what he had to do.  
  
He stood up, and stalked towards the door. He hesitated for a moment, his hand an inch from the doorknob-he didn't have to do it. But he knew he did. He straightened, and pushed the door open. Then, with a purposeful stride and a breaking heart, he set off to find Hershey.  
  
Hermione's PoV  
  
Hermione Granger was sitting in a secluded corner of the library, staring blankly at the open book in front of her. If anyone were to see her, they would think she was studying, as usual. But she wasn't. She was really thinking about the last week. It had been one of the best in her life! Sure, she missed Harry and Ron....but Remus....  
  
She smiled slightly at the thought of her, much to her delight, boyfriend. The last week had started out slightly awkward, neither of them knowing exactly what to do on an actual date (since neither of them had ever actually been on one), but they had eventually gotten the hang of it.  
  
They had gone on two dates in the past week, and both had been awesome. The rest of the time, they studied together, occasionally slinking into the shadows for a quick snog. They were really inseparable, and Hermione loved the feeling.  
  
In the last week Dumbledore STILL hadn't found a way for her to get home. The first few days this upset her greatly, but as the days passed, she cared less and less. If Dumbledore did end up finding a way for her to get home, she would do it of course, but if he didn't....Well, the thought of staying with Remus, marrying him, having his children seemed very appealing to her. She was in love. Sure, she would miss Harry and Ron dearly, but it wasn't as if she would never see them again- why, once "Hermione of the Future" disappeared, she could go and talk to her friends, explain things. They would understand.  
  
She continued to daydream, chewing idly on the end of her quill. Suddenly, Remus poked his head around a bookshelf, and, spotting her, walked quickly over. He looked upset.  
  
"Remus!" Hermione said with a smile. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. Remus hugged her back, looking sadly down at her. Hermione looked at him quizzically.  
  
"Remus, what's wrong?"  
  
Remus was silent for a moment. Then, tearing himself out of her arms, he said "Hershey...We really need to talk."  
  
Hermione looked at him strangely- it almost sounded as though he was going to break up with her! That was silly, though- wasn't it? She sat down at her table, and gestured for Remus to sit down as well with a shaky smile.  
  
"Hermione, I...I...I don't think this is working out..." He mumbled, looking down at his hands.  
  
Hermione's eyes widened- he WAS breaking up with her! "Remus, what are you talking about?" She asked. "Everything is working out fine! I don't know about you, but the last week has been...it's been the happiest time of my life!" Her lip trembled. "But maybe it was just me, then..."  
  
Remus looked up at her, his eyes clouded over with emotion. "Hershey, its nothing like that. For the first time in my life, I feel completely loved and happy! This week has been the best thing that happened to me! But, Hershey, I can't....I just can't lead you on like this! It isn't fair!"  
  
Hermione glared at him, angry tears filling her eyes. "Lead me on like this? LEAD ME ON LIKE THIS?"  
  
"Hershey, it's not like that! I-I love you. With all of my heart." He looked down at the table, his face burning. It was the first time he had actually said it.  
  
The tears Hermione was trying so hard to hold back spilled out. "If you love me," She said quietly, "Why are you breaking up with me?" Then, almost inaudible, she whispered "I love you too."  
  
Remus looked at her, his own eyes shining with held back tears. "Hershey....there are...things about me that you don't know. Things about me that very few people know. I'm not who you think I am. I...I can't say anymore than that, but please understand, I don't want you to get hurt!"  
  
Hermione stared at him. For the last week, she had forgotten about Remus Lupin's condition. It had flown completely out of her head. She finally understood what was upsetting him so. She smiled at him gently through her tears.  
  
"Remus," She began, "Unless you are secretly an ax murderer, I should be fine. We can be fine. I love you. You love me. Everything will be fine. I don't want to break up with you, no matter what." She paused. "Even if you ARE an ax murderer. Or worse."  
  
He looked sadly at her, and wiped away one of her tears with his thumb. "Hershey, it isn't that simple. If I hurt you, I would never be able to live with myself. Just trust me. We have to break it off."  
  
She glared at him. "If you think you are going to just dump me without giving me a real reason, you are completely wrong, mister." She said coldly.  
  
"Hermione, I already gave you a reason..." Remus started, but Hermione interrupted him- "You did NOT give me a real reason, Remus J. Lupin!!! What kind of a reason is 'You don't know who I am'? For all you know, I could know exactly what you are!! Now tell me, or I will hex you all the way to Paris!"  
  
Remus stood up, and looked at his feet. "You really want to know?" He asked quietly. "Fine. I wasn't going to tell you because I figured you would hate me, but it looks like you hate me already, so I don't see what the difference is..." He paused for a moment, then, in a very small voice that Hermione strained to hear, he said "I'm a werewolf. A bloody monster."  
  
He turned around, and literally ran out of the library. "Remus, wait!!" Hermione shouted, jumping to her feet- but it was too late. He was gone.

  
  
AN: OOOOH, cliffy!!!!!!!!!! I have the next chapter all written up, so review and I'll post it ASAP!  
  
Gabriela13: Oh, but I LOVE shy Remus!!  
  
Keaira Malfoy: Sorry, I didn't exactly update that soon...But I swear, the last three chappies will be up ASAP!!  
  
Elenya: Definitely going to finish! In fact, I have the ending written all out....In my head. But still!! I swear, I will finish within 2 weeks!! And then, I will have my first non one-shot completed fanfic!! Woohoo!  
  
Angel of Slytherin: Oh, I know! But luckily, no one heard except for dear old Severus.  
  
Paupu-Kairi: Yes, very confusing. But that's what's so fun about it!! I  
  
Delaney Skye: Hehe, glad you think it's awesome! And don't worry about reviewing more than once...in fact, I encourage you to review for every chapter! I would love to hit 100 reviews for this story!!  
  
WannabeHobbit: I'm so happy you liked the 2 latest chapters!!! Haha, don't you love the potion's mistress...she's named after my friend Beth, so she should be pleased when I tell you what I said :-P Yes, I read the chat with JKR....WHY is his middle name John??? That's SO incredibly boring!!  
  
mydream: Teehee, glad you liked it!  
  
Chaucer: He did indeed. The git!  
  
KatFay: Haha, yes I agree. I think, if Hermione hadn't overheard the conversation, James or Sirius would have had to ask for him....I love shy guys!! :-D  
  
lovebug123: Thanks! Peace to you, too :-P  
  
EllieMartin: I'm glad you liked it!  
  
Tielle: I'm glad you love it :-D Yes, it was an interesting way for Snape to find out...  
  
Fan-Of-HP: The next chapter is FINALLY up, woohoo!! 


	7. The Astronomy Tower

Hello all, sorry for the EXTREME delay in updating. I went to Germany on exchange, and ever since I got back, thinks have been hectic, what with me having to catch up with school and my mom having a baby and all. However, it's summer, and I have no doubt that I will finish this story once and for all! Thanks to everyone who has followed this story for so long! Also, for those of you who have read HBP, can you see the slight tribute to it? Don't worry, it isn't a spoiler for those of you who haven't read it yet...but if you haven't, why are you wasting yoru time on fanfiction!

Hermione ran through the halls, trying to think of where Remus could be. 'Bloody coward' she thought to herself angrily, 'Couldn't even wait half of a minute for me to tell him that I don't bloody care!'. Almost immediately, she felt guilty for her thoughts. He had had a rather trying life. It wasn't his fault that most everybody despises Werewolves. Suddenly, she realized that she was nearing the Fat Lady, and skidded to a halt.

"Teapot" She gasped. "I'm a little Tea Pot". The Fat Lady looked at her critically. "Hmm, I don't know..." she said slowly, "Your rather new to Gryffindor...To prove that you should really be allowed through, why don't you sing the password, with all of the proper hand gestures."

"What?" cried a startled and annoyed Hermione. "I-That's preposterous! You aren't allowed to do things like that!" The Fat lady crossed her arms. "I shan't open up unless you do it." Hermione really was desperate to find Remus, otherwise she would NEVER consent to doing anything so completely stupid.

"I'm a little Tea Pot, short and stout;" sang Hermione with a scowl on her face, "Here is my handle, here is my spout;" She curled one of her arms to her side, and stuck the other out. "When I get all steamed up, I just shout..." sang a rather steamed up Hermione, "Tip me over and pour me out" She dipped her arm, and then quickly straitened when she heard several first years giggling behind her. She gave them a death glare, then turned to the Fat Lady, who was quite red in the face. "Oh, dear, that was wonderful!" She chortled. "Really, what a spirited performance!" She then swung open. As the agitated Hermione stepped through, she heard the Fat Lady giggle and say "Tea Pot!".

Hermione straightened as she stepped into the common room, and was greeted by a blue of black and red sitting on the couch. Lily and James appeared to be snogging as if there was no tomorrow. Hermione noted that several curious 3rd years were watching, wide eyes. Hermione stormed over to them. "Lily! James! Stop it!" They didn't. "LILY! JAMES!" No avail. With a sigh, she pulled out her wand.

"Petrificus Totalus!" The two froze. It took Hermione several seconds untangle the frozen couple, and put them on opposite sides of the couch. The 3rd years were watching with, if it were possible, even more astonishment than before. Hermione shooed them away, and them unfroze her two friends. James glared at her. "What was that for? Me and Lily were-" Hermione held up a hand to silence him.

"I need to find Remus." She said quietly. Lily raised an eyebrow. "Why isn't he glued to your hip anymore?" she asked. Hermione sighed. "We got in a fight," She explained. "He wanted to break up with me, said it was for my own protection." James and Lily exchanged dark looks. "He refused to tell me why," Hermione continued, and noted that Lily and James seemed relieved. "But.. Well, I forced it out of him." James leaped out of his seat. "Hershey, how could you! If you hurt him, I will hunt you down and trample you to death!" Hermione raised a eyebrow at him. "Well, if I was planning on hurting him, I would quite frightened right now. But, my dear boy, how on earth would you trample me?"

James went a bit red, realizing his mistake, but chose not to comment. It was Lily who spoke next, a mixture of amazement and incredulity in her voice. "He told you, and you...don't care? Are you sure he wasn't lying to you?" She asked softly. Hermione sighed, and glanced out the window at the crescent moon. Softly, she said "Aaahhoooo". She could tell that this proved that she really knew. Lily and James stared at her.

"I need to find him." She said softly. "As soon as he told me, he ran out of the library, and I don't know where he could be."

"The Astronomy Tower" said James, matter of factly. "He always goes there when he wants to be alone."

Before Lily or James quite realized what happened, Hermione was halfway through the portrait hole. As it was closing, they heard her yell "Thank you so much!"

Hermione ran through the halls, and up several staircases, without even bothering to apologize when she kocked over Professor Tryon, who was carrying a large vile of a bubbling liquid. She paused for a moment, smelling the odd combination of freshly cut grass, parchment, and an odd husky smell that reminded her of Remus, but then tore herself away from the intriguing smell, and hurdled up the last 3 staircases.

Finally, she was at the door to the Astronomy Tower. She paused, her hand stopped above the doorknob, suddenly nervous. What if he was angry with her? What if he was just using the Werewolf excuse because he really didn't fancy her anymore? She dismissed this idea, however- Even though they had only been together for a week, they had such a strong bond...it couldn't have been fake.

She quietly opened the door, and peered in. She could see a silhouette- Remus's silhouette- in the window. He was sitting there comfortably, as if he didn't even realize the incredibly drop inches from him. Suddenly, his head whirled towards her, and she cringed- she had forgotten about his enhanced hearing.

"What do you want?" he asked in a quiet, defeated voice that broke Hermione's heart to hear. She slowly walked towards him. He recoiled away from hr, and towards the open window, which broke her heart even more. Afraid that he would accidently fall, she pulled out her wand and pointed at him, Wingardium Leviosa on the tip of her tongue.

He laughed hollowly. "So, fancy yourself a Werewolf hunter?" He asked quietly, the pain now quite evident in his voice. "Going to finish me off? I can't say I don't deserve it..." Hermione stared at him, her mouth slightly open, her eyes filling with tears. "Remus," She whispered. "How could you think that?" Remus obviously didn't expect anything like that to be her answer, because the look of surprise on his face was rather comical. "Hershey, I thought...I thought you were repulsed that you had been dating a...a...a werewolf." On the last word, he hung his head.

She was close enough by then to put her hand under his chin, and lift his face up. With her free hand, she stroked his hair off of his forehead, and brushed a single tear gathered in the corner of his eye away. "How could any of that matter to me?" She asked him softly. "Remus Lupin, you are incredible. Don't ever forget that." And with that, she leaned down and kissed him.

There previous kisses had been, in the beginning, timid and shy, and then had progressed to frenzied snogging. This kiss, however, was slow and tender, with Hermione trying to convey exactly how much she loved him through there joined lips. Finally, they broke apart, an Remus stared at her. Finally, he spoke. "Hershey, what did I ever do to deserve you?" Hermione smiled softly, countered "No Remus, what did I do to deserve you?"


End file.
